Next Tuesday is election day, and even though it’s considered an “off” year, there are several important races in Pennsylvania.

In Philadelphia, the contest providing much of the drama is between District Attorney Larry Krasner, the progressive Democrat who is seeking a third term, and Republican challenger Patrick Dugan, the former Municipal Court judge who lost to Krasner in last spring’s primary and then switched parties to run against him in the general election. The contest has recently caught fire with the murder of Kada Scott, the 23-year-old Mt. Airy woman whose body was found on Oct. 18 behind an abandoned school building in Germantown, with Dugan calling Krasner a “co-conspirator” in her death for allegedly mishandling earlier cases against Keon King, the man charged with kidnapping her from her workplace in Chestnut Hill and then murdering her.

Also attracting enormous attention — and advertising dollars — is a statewide race in which Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices Christine Donohue, Kevin M. Dougherty, and David Wecht are seeking retention. A “yes” vote would earn each of them another 10-year term, while a “no” vote could mean that their seats would remain empty until after the 2027 election. Gov. Josh Shapiro could seek to appoint new justices but they would have to be approved by the GOP-dominated state Senate. Donohue, Dougherty and Wecht make up three of the five liberals on the seven-member court and if all three are ousted, the result would be a 2-2 tie between liberals and conservatives.

For information on the judicial candidates for the Supreme, Superior, and Commonwealth courts, the Pennsylvania Bar Association ratings are here, pavotesmart.org. The Philadelphia Bar Association ratings for the Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court are here, judges.philadelphiabar.org, and the Montgomery Bar Association ratings are here, montgomerybar.org.

In addition to several other judicial races, others on the Philadelphia and Montgomery County ballots include those for city controller, inspector of election, and judge of election. The Springfield Township School District also is electing four at-large board members; the township is electing a tax collector and a Ward 2 commissioner.

The polls open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday and close at 8 p.m, but if you’re in line before then you will be able to vote. You can find your polling place here, pavoterservices.pa.gov.